ECAT participates in Andaluz.IA

Our team at the European Centre for Algorithmic Transparency participated in the first annual event Andaluz.IA, a regional forum for scientists and researchers studying artificial intelligence, machine learning and deep learning in Andalusia, Spain.

Alberto Pena, Head of the European Centre for Algorithmic Transparency, and Emilia Gómez, Lead Scientist and founding member of Andaluz.IA, spoke at the institutional opening alongside Antonio Sanz Cabello, Advisor to the Regional Presidency at Junta de Andalucía; Francisco Oliva Blázquez, Rector at Universidad Pablo de Olavide; Luis Merino Cabañas, Director of the Polytechnic School at Universidad Pablo de Olavide; and Amelia Jiménez Sánchez, founding member of Andaluz.IA and researcher at the IT University of Copenhagen.

In opening remarks, Alberto highlighted the importance of scientific knowledge in the face of regulating AI and the challenges ahead. Emilia celebrated having a regional meeting point to gather local experts and foster the exchange of ideas, creating synergies and enabling a constant connection with the broader research community.

During one of the panels, PhD researcher and part of ECAT team, Marina Escobar Planas, also presented her paper “That Robot Played with Us! – Children’s Perceptions of a Robot after a Child-Robot Group Interaction”. This piece of research, published in The Proceedings of the ACM on Human Computer Interaction, looks at the relationship that children are able to develop with robots based on its cognitive reliability and expressivity.

ECAT was also present at the sponsors section of the event with a dedicated stand. Attendees were able to look at our latest publications, interact with members of our team and learn more about opportunities to join ECAT.

The forum was an excellent opportunity to connect with the local community of scientists and researchers driving innovation in the AI field. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the universities, institutions and talented pool of researchers working in the region where ECAT is headquartered.